Balanced valve



(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. R. GLUYAS. BALANGED VALVE.

No. 246,878. I -P ktam-,ed sept. 13,1881.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALTER R. GLUYAS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BALANCED VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,878, dated September 13, 1881.

Application filed February 21, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

ABe it known that I, WALTER lt. GLUYAS, of Columbus, in the count-y ot' Franklin and State ot' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Balanced Valves for Steam- Engines; and I do'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in balanced slide-valves for steam-engines.

Heretot'ore in balanced valves (referring to my Patents No. 205,541, July 2,1878, and No. 230,769, August 3, 1880, wherein the main parts have been connected together by a sheetmetal hoop secured by rings and coupled together and kept to their seats by a spring) the hoop has been rigidly secured to the parts of the valve, the fold in the middle portion being depended on entirely for the adjustment ot' the parts ot` the valves to their seats, and the spring has been secured and adjusted by a setscrew having a shoulder and parallel sides. These valves have been found to be objectionable on account of the told in the hoop not allowing the valves to readily adjust themselves to their seats and on account of the setscrew working loose.

The object of my invention is to provide a balanced valve for steam-engines of such construction that the balancing device may be readily attached to any common slide-valve now in use, and be so connected together that it will always remain steam-tight and the parts readily adjust themselves to their seats, and so that none of the parts can work loose while the valve is in operation, and also be so arranged that the valve may be operated as a balanced valve or as an ordinary slide-valve.

My invention consists of a balanced valve having the combination, with an ordinary slidevalve, of a hoop each side of which is made of different sizes and fitting to the parts of the valve, so as to leave the middle portion lexiblc in a direction perpendicular to the valve-faces, it being secured by adjustable. rings to the parts ot' the valve; also, in a spring ot' such construction that the wear ot' the parts will not affect its tit to the parts of the valve, and a (Model.)

set-screw for its adjustment of such construction that it cannot work loose while the valve is in operation; also, in means for throwing on or taking oft' the steam-pressure from the back of the main valve.

In the drawings, A represents an enginecylinder, having the usual ports and passages with exhaust-pipe attached.

B represents the valve-chest with the usual steam-pipeland cover, (l. There are two valveseats, oneon the body ofthe cylinder and the other on the cap of the chest C, which is made of such form as to give room for the valve.

D is an ordinary slide-valve,hav1ng a projecting portion, a, which has an opening ot' any suitable shape, but preferably of circular forni, to receive the hoop c.

b is the relief-plate, having a face similar to the valve and a projecting portion ot' a dit't'erent size from the opening in projection a. A portion of hoop c is made to tit in the opening in projection a, and the opposite portion is made to it over the projection on relief-plate I), and the middle portion is made ot such shape as to be flexible in a direction perpendicular to the valve-faces, preferably S-shaped. It consists ot'a number ot' split rings ot sheet metal so4 placed together as to breakjoint and allow it to adj ust itself to the parts of the valve, and tapering or other shaped pieces of sheet metal, o, titted between the opposite ends and secured by soldering or bending the pieces, so asl to make it steam-tight between the adjacent parts ot' the valve. `The portion of this hoop which lits over the projection on relief-plateb is secured by a solid ring, e, shrunk on, and the portion which tits into the opening in projection c is adj ustably secured by a split ring, d, preferably split diagonally across its outer surface, so as to bear against all points of the hoop and keep it against the inner surface of the lopening. Ring d is made slightly larger than the hoop and sprung in, and is further secured by a tapering screwbolt,f, acting as a wedge placed in the dividing-point, lugs being cast on the inside of said ring at this point. Screwbolt fis threaded to screw into a nut (titted into a recess so as not to turn.) One end is made square to receive a Wrench, and the opposite end is split, so that its sides may be sprung into recesses formed in the ring to prevent its turn- -IOO ing after it has been screwed in as far as necessary. The hoop being adj ustably secured, it does not depend on the flexible portion through a very wide range of movement. The sides of the rings el e are made to conform in shape with the middle portion ot' the hoop c, and are suiciently close together to prevent its injury by the movements of the valve.

A spring, h, is placed between the two main parts of the valve, which may be made of any metal which possesses suicient elasticity, either cast or wrought, and is made of suicient strength to carry relief-plate b, and also to keep the parts of the valve to their1 seats. Taperin g projections are formed onrthe opposite portions of this spring, which are fitted into the parts of the valve. It is adjusted by a set-screw, g, which is screwed into a hole drilled and tapped for that purpose in the center of a cross-piece on relief-plate b, and is bored out to receive one of the tapering projections, and has a projecting tooth engaging with a notched plate, i, which is secured to the spring to prevent its turning ont after it has been screwed in sutilciently. It is made so as to be turned by a wrench, a screw-plug, k, being placed in the chest-cap for convenience of access to it.

rIhe recess between the valve and relief-plate communicates with the main exhaust by pipe J, which has a branch pipe, n, communicating with the live steam in the chest. A three-way valve, l, regulates the ilow of steam through these pipes, and it is apparent that it' it be placed in the position shown in Figures 1, 2 the valve will be relieved from pressure, and if placed in position shown in Figs. 1, 3 it will operate as an ordinary slidewalve. There is suicient difference between the area of the face of valve D and the opening in the projection a and between the face of relief-plate b and its projection that the steam-pressure will keep the parts to their seats. The pressure of the springs is constant and is suicient to keep the parts of the valve to their seats without reference to steam-pressure. Steam is admitted to the chest and exhausted as usual. The valve is moved by an eccentric in the usual way, and as it is relieved from pressure but little power is required to move it. The parts are so secured that they cannot work loose while the valve is in operation, and the valve is so arranged that it may be operated as a balanced valve or as an ordinary slide-valve.

It is evident that by slight changes in construction steam may be admitted into the interior of the valve through the chest-cap and exhaust into the chest instead ot' as herein described; also, the hoop may be secured. by two solid rings or two split rings instead of as herein described, and similar results obtained.

It is also evident that the pipe which communicates with theinterior ofthe valve and the main exhaust may be in communication with the atmosphere with the same result; also, the passages may be made through the chest instead of the pipes. I do not limit myself to the particular form of hoop or rings for securing it herein shown and described; nor to the particular form and construction of spring and setscrew herein described; neither to any particular arran gementor con struction of pipes or valve for regulating the pressure of steam on the main valve, or any particular means of operating the same.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a balance-valve, the combination, with an ordinary slide-valve having a relief-plate, of a hoop adjustably secured in an opening in the back ofthe main valve by a split ring and tapering screw-bolt and rigidly secured to a projection on relief-plate by a solid ring shrunk thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. rIhe combination, with a balance-valve having a slide-valve and a relief -plate and rings, of a hoop the opposite sides ot' which are made ot' different sizes, and the middle portion is formed of such a shape as to be flexible perpendicularly and made of a number of split rings of sheet metal so arranged as to break joint,` with pieces fitted between the opposite ends, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a balancevalvehav ing a slide-valve and relief-plate, of a spring with tapering projections on its opposite portions, with a set-screw having a projecting tooth engaging with a notched plate, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

4. In a balancevalve having a slide-valve and `relief-plate, and provided with apassage leading from the interior of the valve to the main exhaust-passage, and a steam-passage leading from the steam-chest to the passage connecting with the main exhaust passage, said steam-passa ges being controlled by a valve or valves in such amanner as to allow the pressure of steam on the back ofthe main valve or relieve it therefrom, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of January, 1880.

WALTER It. GLUYAS.

Witnesses:

J. M. THOMAS, T. J. THOMAS.

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